Pistachio Sugar Cookie With A Chocolate Drizzle

I entered these cookies in a bake-off and unfortunately they did not win (darn) but every person that taste tested them when I created the recipe said they were (and I quote) the BEST cookies they’ve ever had.

I purchased the pistachio flour at my local farmer’s market in Los Angeles from the  Santa Barbara Pistachio Company (they sell at a few farmer’s markets in Southern California, here’s the full list and also at select Whole Foods) and I’m obsessed with their products. You can also look up recipes to make your own pistachio flour (all you need are pistachios! it’s pretty easy)

Makes: Approximately 24 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1.5 cups pistachio flour (For the pistachio flour,
• 1.5 cups cane sugar
• 1 cup earth balance buttery spread, melted
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (dairy-free)
• 1/4 cup rice milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar Green & red sprinkles
• Red colored sanding sugar

To Make:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all purpose flour, pistachio flour, cane sugar and baking soda and mix thoroughly. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine melted earth balance buttery spread, vanilla extract, 1/4 cup rice milk, corn starch and cream of tartar and whisk together until it’s a smooth, even consistency.

Pour mixture intro the larger mixing bowl with dry ingredients and mix together. Make golf ball sized dough balls and place on nonstick cookie sheets. You want these to be the shapes of golf balls so when they bake down, they’re crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside (they’re delicious).

Bake for 12 – 14 minutes (mine took 14 but check at 12 to avoid burning, ovens can vary). Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. While the cookies are cooling down, measure 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks and place in a small sauce pan. Heat for approximately 5 minutes over low/medium heat, consistently stirring to avoid burning until it turns into a nice melted chocolate sauce.

Put your cookies on wax paper or plates. Drizzle chocolate sauce over cookies. Top with sprinkles and red sanding sugar. Serve with your favorite non-dairy milk. Happy Holidays 🙂

Strawberry & Blueberry Cobbler Pie

One of my favorite things to do is cook for other people. Whether it’s cooking a delicious meal for friends, family & co-workers, bringing a jar of fresh salsa as a hostess gift to a BBQ or baking sweets that’ll make someone smile. Last Friday a friend of mine helped me out with a project and I promised him a pie as a thank you, then asked him what flavor he wanted. He said he loved berry cobbler which is what inspired this recipe. You may notice in the photos I made two… one was for my friend and one was for my co-workers (I simply doubled the ingredients to make an extra to bring to work.)

Fruit & Mint Salad

This beautiful fruit salad makes a lovely dessert, snack or breakfast side dish. It is light, healthy and refreshing on a hot summer day plus it’s packed with lots of energy-boosting vitamins and minerals to keep you going. All ingredients are fresh at the local farmer’s market now, so enjoy them while they’re in season!

Rainbow Coconut Fruit Salad

Yesterday my friend Jenny came over for lunch and she made me this fruit salad that was so yummy I had to share, so I’m calling her my guest chef today on the blog 😉 This delicious and light fruit dish is perfect as a side or healthy dessert this summer. Feel free to swap out the fruits with any other favorite fruits you have that are in season. Jenny picked out the colors based on the rainbow.

Banana Maple Nut Quesadillas

Quesadilla Fest 2014 continues with delicious Banana Maple Nut Quesadillas. These remind me a lot of crepes in a way, only healthier. They’re gluten and soy-free, contain one serving of fruit (thank you banana!), they’re sweet without actually having a ton of sugar (only 1 tsp maple syrup along with the fruit) plus you’ll get a nice little dose of protein and omega-3’s from the walnuts and almond butter. Eat them for breakfast, or split it with someone and add a scoop of vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream for dessert!